Fabaceae
Aeschynomene

Aeschynomene leptophylla Harms

First published in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 8: 356 (1910)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Congo to Tanzania and Angola. It grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Erect subshrub or shrub 0.4–3 m. tall, with several shoots, sometimes leafless when flowering, from a woody rootstock, some of the roots being tuberous; mostly appearing after burns.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous to densely viscid scabrid-pubescent or rarely stiffly spinulose with persistent hair-bases.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 28–104-foliolate; leaflets linear to oblong, 0.3–2.2(–5.5) cm. long, 0.7–7(–17) mm. wide, obtuse or emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous; main nerve ± central; petiole and rhachis 3–21 (–30) cm. long, glabrous to hispidulous; petiolules 1 mm. long; stipules ovate to linear-lanceolate, 0.6–1.6 cm. long, 1–5 mm. wide, acuminate, slightly subcordate but not appendaged at the base, sometimes ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or from the upper axils, slightly to very branched, lax and many-flowered; rhachis 3–45 cm. long; peduncle 2.5–6 cm. long; pedicels 0.3–1.1 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent; bracts oblong-elliptic, 2.5–4 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. wide, entire or 2–3-toothed, soon falling; bracteoles lanceolate to obovate, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, obtuse at the apex, glabrous, soon falling.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped, the lips ovate or oblong, often ciliolate, 5.5–10 mm. long, 3–5 mm. wide, one emarginate, the other 3-lobed at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow with purple veins, ovate or ovate-elliptic, 0.8–1.2 cm. long, 4.5–7 mm. wide, emarginate; wings yellow with purple veins, about equalling the keel; keel-petals yellow with purple veins, 0.8–1.5 cm. long, not laciniate; filament-sheath usually as long as or longer than the 0.7–1.3 cm. long fruit-stipe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods of 1–3 articles joined by a very narrow neck consisting of practically nothing but the suture; articles semicircular, 1.2–2.1 cm. long, 0.8–1.5 cm. wide, papery, glabrous or very sparsely pubescent, reticulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds yellow-brown, irregularly compressed-renrform, longest dimension 5.5 mm., shorter dimension 4.5 mm., 1.1 mm. thick; hilum small, elliptic, eccentric.
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zambezian grassland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
[ILDIS]

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit
Erect subshrub or shrub 0.4–3 m tall, with several shoots from a woody rootstock with some roots tuberous, sometimes leafless when flowering; mostly appearing after burns.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous to densely viscid scabrid-pubescent or rarely stiffly spinulose with persistent hair-bases.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 28–104-foliolate; leaflets 3–22(55) × 0.7–7(17) mm, linear to oblong, obtuse or emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous; main nerve ± central; petiole and rhachis 3–21(30) cm long, glabrous to hispidulous; petiolules 1 mm long; stipules 6–16 × 1–5 mm, ovate to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, slightly subcordate but not appendaged at the base, sometimes ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or from the upper axils, slightly to much branched, lax and many-flowered; peduncle 2.5–6 cm long; rhachis 3–45 cm long; pedicels 3–11 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; bracts 2.5–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm, oblong-elliptic, entire or 2–3-toothed, soon falling; bracteoles 2.5–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm, lanceolate to obovate, obtuse at the apex, glabrous, soon falling.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped; lips 5.5–10 × 3–5 mm, ovate or oblong, often ciliolate, one emarginate, the other 3-lobed at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow with purple veins, 8–12 × 4.5–7 mm, ovate or ovate-elliptic, emarginate; wings yellow with purple veins, about equalling the keel; keel petals yellow with purple veins, 8–15 mm long, not laciniate; filament-sheath usually as long as or longer than the 7–13 mm long fruit stipe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit of 1–3 articles joined by a very narrow neck consisting of practically nothing but the suture; articles 12–21 × 8–15 mm, semicircular, papery, glabrous or very sparsely pubescent, reticulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds yellow-brown, 5.5 × 4.5 × 1.1 mm, irregularly compressed-reniform; hilum small, elliptic, eccentric.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0